How to write effectivelyin English

1、 How to Write Effectively in English Lecturer: Shen YuruLecturer: Shen Yuru School of Foreign Languages School of Foreign Languages Nov. 21, 2012 Nov. 21, 2012 How to Write Effectively in English -Tendency of modern English writing -Principles of English writing -Essay structure () -Paragraph struct

2、ure() -Main sentence problems Tendency of modern English writing Making your writing plain and simple II. Principles of English writing -Clarity -Brevity -Simplicity -Variety -Economy III. Essay structure Introduction（引言）（引言）-Body(正文正文)- Conclusion（结尾）（结尾） Background Information most general specifi

3、c more specific Thesis Statement -still more specific The introduction is like a pyramid upside down. Introduction The introduction generally serves four purposes: -introducing the topic of the essay -giving a general background of the topic -indicating an overall plan of the essay -arousing the rea

4、ders interest in the topic A person born in the 21st century has seen a lot of changes take place in almost all areas of human life. Some people are excited by the challenges that these changes offer; others want to return to the simpler, less automated life style of the past. (General statements: i

5、ntroducing background information) Living in the 21st century offers certain advantages, such as a higher standard of living, but it also has some disadvantages, such as a polluted environment, the depersonalization of human relationships, and the weakening of spiritual values. (Thesis statement) Mo

6、re sample introductory paragraphs: A The first time I decided to leave home was when I was a sophomore in high school. I was having trouble getting along with my parents. I had about a hundred dollars in my pocket, and so I thought about leaving home. It took me only three weeks away from home when

7、I started to feel homesick. Living on my own is a totally different experience for three main reasons: being more responsible, more decisive and more creative. B The busy schedules that most Americans face from day to day have created a rising health problem in the United States. Stress affects almo

8、st everyone, from the highly pressured executive to the busy homemaker or student. It can cause a variety of physical disorders, ranging from headaches to stomach ulcers and even alcoholism. Stress is not a problem that can be cured like a common cold; however, it can be controlled. A person can lea

9、rn to control stress by setting realistic goals, enjoying a hobby and/or physical exercise, and by maintaining a good, warm relationship with family and friends. A good essay should have a satisfying conclusion, one that gives the reader a sense of completion on the subject. Instead of allowing our

10、essay to drop off or fade out at the end, we should use the concluding paragraph to emphasize the validity and importance of our thinking. And because the concluding paragraph is our last chance to remind the reader of our thesis, we should try to link the concluding paragraph to the introductory an

11、d bring the paper to a natural and graceful end. Conclusion (The Concluding Paragraph (s) A sample concluding paragraph In conclusion, although the 21st century has indeed given us a lot of advantages by making us richer, healthier and freer to enjoy our lives, it has, in my opinion, not made us wis

12、e. The 21st century has also made our earth dirtier, our people less humane, and our spiritual lives poorer. We should continue to enjoy the benefits of technological advancements because they free us to pursue our interests and goals. However, we must make a concerted effort to preserve our natural

13、 environment for future generations. Moreover, we should take the time now to make our lives more meaningful in an increasingly impersonal, and computerized world. Body paragraph (topical paragraph) a topic sentence supporting details a concluding sentence (a transitional sentence) IV. Paragraph Str

14、ucture Topic sentence: Topic + Controlling idea e.g. 1. Londons weather is very strange. 2. My father is a most generous man and is always ready to help someone in need. Two reminders to keep in mind when writing a topic sentence: A topic sentence should be neither too general nor too specific. Do n

15、ot include too many unrelated ideas in our topic sentence; if we do, our paragraph will not be unified. Topic sentence American food is terrible. Topic sentence American food is tasteless and greasy because Americans use too many canned, frozen, and prepackaged food and because everything is fried i

16、n oil or butter. Topic sentence American food is tasteless and greasy. This sentence is too general. This sentence is too specific. Topic sentence San Francisco is famous for its many tourist attractions. Topic sentence San Francisco is famous for its temperate climate, its many tourist attractions,

17、 and its cosmopolitan atmosphere. Too many controlling ideas to be covered in one paragraph Containing only one controlling idea How to write an effective body paragraph -Discussing one main idea in one paragraph (Achieving unity) - Arranging sentences in a logical order (Achieving coherence) -Using

18、 specific and concrete words and providing evidence (details) (“Showing” not “telling”) In every topical paragraph, only one topic is discussed. Dont mix many ideas together. That is , one paragraph, one single topic, one single main idea. 1. Discussing one main idea in one paragraph (Achieving unit

19、y) Sample paragraph 1 Londons weather is very strange. It can rain several times a day; each time the rain may come suddenly after the sun is shining brightly. The air is damp and chill right through July. On one March afternoon on Hampton Heath last year it rained three times, there was one hail st

20、orm, and the sun shone brilliantly- all this within two hours time. It is not unusual to see men and women rushing down the street on a sunny morning with umbrellas on their arms. No one knows what the next few moments will bring. Sample paragraph 2 (1) Television programming in the United States ha

21、s become increasingly monotonous. (1) One year, half of the evening television programs will be westerns. (3) The next year, they will be detective shows. (4) Sex and violence are stressed in show after show. (5) The advertisers who pay huge sums of money for television time are responsible for tele

22、visions weak programming. (6) Advertisers believe that they cannot afford to experiment with original and creative shows. (7) Time after time, they choose what they think will be a “sure thing.” (8) In their minds, profits are the first concern. (9) Quality of programming takes a second place. Sampl

23、e paragraph 3 My father is a most generous man and is always ready to help someone in need. Although he earns a small salary, he never turns away those friends and neighbors who come to him for financial help. He even gives generously to strangers. One time, he met a pitiable-looking old man on the

24、street who said he couldnt go home because he had lost all the money he had with him. Father took the old man to our home, gave him a meal and then sent him home with some money. Fathers generosity has earned him a lot of friends, as well as a good reputation. 2. Arranging sentences in a logical ord

25、er (Achieving coherence) Co- is a Latin prefix that means “together” or “with.” The verb cohere means “hold together.” Coherence in writing means that all the sentences and ideas in a paragraph flow together to make a clear, logical point about our topic. The sentences in a paragraph should be arran

26、ged in a logical order so that the readers are able to follow what we have written and see easily and quickly how each sentence grows out of, or is related to, the preceding sentence. Sample paragraph 1 Savita likes living in a private house better than in a dormitory for a number of reasons. First,

27、 it costs less. For example, she paid $120 a month to live in a dorm, but it costs her only $90 to live in a private home. Second, she has more privacy in a home. In a dorm, she shared a room with another girl, but in a private home, she has a room all to herself. Third, it is easier to study in a p

28、rivate home. A dorm is often too noisy, but a home rarely is. Finally, she can keep her car at a house. At campus dorms, there are no parking spaces for student cars. For these reasons, Savita likes to live off-campus. Sample paragraph 2 Its a shame that every high school student isnt required to ta

29、ke a course in first aid. For example, you might need to treat a friend or relative for drowning during a family picnic. Or, for instance, someone might break a bone or receive a snakebite on a camping trip. Also, you should always know what to do for a common cut or burn. Moreover, its important to

30、 realize when someone is in shock. However, very few people take the time to learn the simple rules of first aid. Thus, many injured or sick people suffer more than they should. Therefore, everyone should take a first aid course in school or at the Red Cross center. Dr. Albert Einstein was one of th

31、e greatest scientists of all the time, but his response to life was simple and direct. Once when he was out in a very hard rain, he took off his hat and put it under his coat. When he was asked why he had done that, he simply replied that the rain would damage his hat but it couldnt hurt his hair. 1

32、) Using specific and concrete words cf: Specific-General; Concrete-Abstract -General words: words referring to groups or classes, not to individual things e.g. mother, flowers, hurricane, bottle, kitten, car, computer, color, parrot, building 3. Using specific and concrete words and providing detail

33、s (“Showing” not “telling”) -Specific words: words referring to individual persons, objects or events (more informative and expressive) e.g. barn(谷仓，粮仓；牲口棚), mansion(大厦；公 馆 ), warehouse(仓库，货栈), bungalow (平房； 单层小屋 ), shack (窝棚，简陋的小屋), workshop (车间；创作室) , cabin (小木屋；客 舱); Joes father, the flowers in t

34、he vase near the window, Hurricane Katrina, the flowers in the vase near the window -Abstract words: words referring to qualities shared by many people or things e.g. newness, width, size, shape, value, joy, anger, existentialism, victory, loyalty, intelligence, philosophy, value, evil -Concrete wor

35、ds: words referring to particular things or qualities that can be perceived by our senses, such as details of appearance, sounds, smells, textures and tastes (所有可以通过感官感所有可以通过感官感 觉到其词汇所指意义的词觉到其词汇所指意义的词) e.g. green belt, pop up like corn, chuckle (轻声地笑； 咯咯笑), guffaw (大笑，狂笑 ), giggle (咯咯的笑；傻 笑), roar (

36、狂笑，大笑) , smile, grin (咧嘴笑，露齿而 笑) , beam (眉开眼笑 ) Remember: 通过使用具体词汇向读者通过使用具体词汇向读者to show而不是而不是 to tell，因为具体词汇使读者如见其形如闻，因为具体词汇使读者如见其形如闻 其声、看得见摸得着，具有抽象词汇无法其声、看得见摸得着，具有抽象词汇无法 比拟的真实感。比拟的真实感。 Compare the following groups of sentences and decide in each group which is general and which is specific: A1: Jac

37、k went to the window and looked at the crowd outside. A2: Jack tiptoed to the window and peeped at the crowd outside. B1: I walked across campus, feeling good about the test I just took. B2: I strutted across campus, feeling good about the test I just took. B3: I strutted across the campus, exhilara

38、ted by the test I just took. （strut: to walk in an especially confident and proud way 趾高气扬地走 exhilarate: to make someone feel extremely happy, excited, and full of energy 使兴奋，使 高兴） 2) Providing evidence (details) General It is often windy and dusty here in spring. Specific In spring there is often a

39、 very strong northwest wind. It carries so much fine dust with it that sometimes the sun becomes obscure. There is no escape from the fine dust; it gets into your eyes, your ears, your nostrils, and your hair. It goes through the cracks of closed windows and covers your desks and chairs. Compare the

40、 following two paragraphs and decide which is more specific and vivid: A Living with my ex-roommate was unbearable. First, she thought everything she owned was the best. Second, she possessed numerous filthy habits. Finally, she constantly exhibited immature behavior. B Living with my ex-roommates w

41、as unbearable. First, she thought everything she owned, from clothes to cosmetics, was the best. If someone complimented my pants, shed point out that her designer jeans looked better and would last longer because they were made of better material. If she borrowed my shampoo, shed let me know that i

42、t didnt get her hair as clean and shiny as hers did. My hand cream wasnt as smooth; my suntan lotion wasnt as protective; not even my wire clothes hangers were as good as her padded ones! But despite her pickiness about products, she had numerous filthy habits. Her dirty dishes remained in the sink

43、for days before she felt the need to wash them. Piles of the “best” brand of tissues were regularly discarded from her upper bunk and strewn about the floor. Her desk and closets overflowed with heaps of dirty clothes, books, cosmetics, and whatever else she owned, and she rarely brushed her teeth (

44、when she did brush, she left oozes of toothpaste in the sink). Finally, she constantly acted immaturely by throwing tantrums when things didnt go her way. A poor grade on an exam or paper, for example, meant books, shoes, or any other small object within her reach would hit the wall flying. Living w

45、ith such a person taught me some valuable lessons about how not to win friends or keep roommates. 并非只有描述性或叙述性的文字需要细节，议论文 同样需要细节或详细举例来丰富其内容。例如，一 篇题为“Typing should be a required course” . A The student should be required to type all his papers. This would make for easier grading. It would also lead to

46、 a general improvement in all the students written work B The student should be required to type every paper he hands in, particularly for English class. This would not only conserve the eyesight and sweeten (使温和) the disposition (性情 )of his teacher-it would help the student learn. No longer able to

47、 hide his spelling errors behind blots (污渍；墨渍 ) and erasures and unrecognizable squiggles (难认的笔迹), he will learn to spell better. Unable to fatten his essays simply by enlarging his handwriting, he will be forced to come up with some real ideas. And he will be less likely to dash off (匆忙地把写好) just a

48、ny kind of nonsense in order to fill up space; silly statements have a way of looking very silly indeed, even to the author, when they are neatly lined up in precise and impersonal black type. The student can see his own errors with a new and painful clarity, thus becoming both a better writer and a

49、 better student. Sentence Fragments (A sentence fragment is nothing more than a part of a sentence with a capital letter at the beginning and a full stop ( period, exclamation point, or question mark) at the end. Fragments Without Verbs e.g. A woman to be respected and even feared. Revised: She is a

50、 woman to be respected and even feared. V. Main Sentence problems 2）Fragments Without Subjects or Verbs e.g. Trees are important on a building site. Break the wind. Revised: Trees are important on a building site for breaking the wind. (Or: Trees are important on a building site. They break the wind

51、.) 3）Fragments of Dependent Clauses e.g. Because some students have part-time jobs in addition to going to school. Revised: Because some students have part-time jobs in addition to going to school ，they have very little time . 2. Run-together sentences A run-together sentence is a sentence in which two or more independent clauses are incorrectly joined by a comma without a coord